Sunday, 3 June 2007

Yu-U

Hindsight is a beautiful thing. Would you have done what you had if you knew the consequences?There are a few things in my life where if only I knew, I wouldn’t have done, and going to this place was no exception.

I had high expectations of Yu-U.It had all the things I liked about Melbourne.Like many of the bars, a grungy exterior, an adventure to find, but inside reveals a low key, unpretentious, elegant venue.The lighting over the “U” shaped communal dining area and the vast spaces make you feel like you’re on centre stage.No star treatment though, or greeting, and not the typical friendly Japanese service you’d be accustomed to.Something felt wrong about this evening...

Unfortunately the food did not match the aesthetic brilliance.Must be careful about appearances.Sumiso Ae, (salmon sashimi avocado marinated in miso) and Wagyu beef the only dishes worth mentioning.The combination of the salty miso, neutralised by the avocado harmonised with the salmon.The tender wagyu beef, cooked to perfection with perhaps the best teriyaki I’ve had.Great that the venue was low key but I didn’t want that to translate to the rest of the dishes.To top off the fantastic experience the maitre’d rudely attempted to usher the party out.Unimpressed and very un-Melbourne like.

Should I have gone out for dinner that night?I should have listened to my friend’s advice; they would have saved me a heap of trouble.Hindsight is a beautiful thing.

2 comments:

Wow. It seems that your ‘high expectations’ of Yu-U and dare I say it – discoloured mood for the day – had clouded your evaluations of the lovely restaurant. My experience was very different and I could not keep quiet any longer…

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Situated amongst a city with a splendid array of cafés and restaurants – just waiting to be found – a hideaway traditional Japanese restaurant awaited my presence. In one of the many basements off Flinders Lane there lies Yu-U. After walking past the publicity-shy restaurant at least three times, the thought of checking behind the graffiti filled doors had not crossed my mind. As I was about to give up hope, my final attempt was a success and undeniably a pleasing find.

At first, my thoughts were – this couldn’t possibly be the right place that I’ve heard of… However, that feeling quickly vanished as I reached the end of the staircase and was greeted by a welcoming waitress and a unique table arrangement.

Cleverly designed is a set menu that meets the needs of Melbourne’s hectic city lunch hour. There is only one option for the day but this changes very frequently (usually daily) and is known well in advance by an accessible monthly paper printout of the subsequent month’s menu. Even though the food was not as impressive as I would have liked to believe, this was overlooked as I admired the careful attention to detail from the impressive earthy crockery to the sliced dessert fruit.

Such an intriguing layout and exclusive vibe made a delightful lunch that I am keen to relive.